Our Stars Align
by CarnelianFox
Summary: A spoiler-free story of Gregg on his first date with Angus. Taking place before the events of the game, free spirit Gregg has gone with the flow up until now. Excited for his date with Angus, he didn't anticipate words left unsaid to be louder than words spoken.


This was it. It was finally happening. I was on my very first date with Angus! It took everything I had to not run up the walls, according to Mae. Heck, it was thanks in part to Mae and Casey that I even worked up the courage to ask out the most huggable teddy bear in all of existence. Oh god, he was so cute and so tall at the same time! I really hoped we hit it off. Instead of going to dinner or something typical, he asked if we could spend our date at one of the hills in town. It made sense. Though our generation was relatively open and laid back, anything remotely gay wasn't exactly the most welcome in Possum Springs.

I heard Bright Harbor had a pretty high gay population. One day, I would be there. Yeah, Bright Harbor sounds nice, and its economy isn't dragging itself by two fingers. I didn't hate Possum Springs, but I knew I couldn't stay stuck here forever. I'd never be able to live on my own terms in this place. I'd live while I was alive and I would die on those terms.

The way he talked about this date made me think it would be a super fun idea. Outdoorsy stuff was up my alley! Plus, there's a certain mystique to the evening and the night, so I didn't question it when he said he wanted to have our date at nighttime. Maybe we would go on some grand adventure! After all, what were my odds of finding treasure in my own home? One in fifty? One in a hundred? Who cares? Angus was the loot to end all loot! Plus, if there were to be a second date, I could bring my crossbow next time!

I finally finished my little passion project: the motorization of my bicycle. It was a beauty, and it was going to help me woo Angus. With swelling pride, I slid the goggles onto my head and lowered the lenses to my eyes, a fire lining my gaze and my heart. Because I made all the modifications to the bike myself and paid for the electric conversion kit out of pocket, the motor didn't have a proper ignition, which led me to jury-rig an old light switch into the system. Still, when I flipped on that bad boy, that engine purred like Mae or Casey eating a hot pizza after a long day of crimes.

After hopping on the bike, I started up the motor and zoomed out of my garage. I certainly wasn't moving at the speed of light, but that didn't matter. I was going fast enough to feel the wind through my fur. Was this what freedom felt like? It felt like everything I wanted, save for a cute guy to love and settle down with. Heh. Old Gregg Lee, settling down. Imagine that. After high school, it would be onward and upward. It had to be. Angus told me he wanted to meet up in a clearing in the woods that were just beyond the grounds of the church. Maybe I could have stopped in the church and asked God if Luck planned on being a lady tonight. Chuckling at the thought, I rode up the hill adjacent to the stairs leading up to the chapel.

The speed of my bike made me realize how small Possum Springs really was, for all its compactness and "rustic charm". This town had my best friends, and it had Angus Delaney, the dude I was crushing on for what felt like forever now. Fast and free, being with Angus; today already felt perfect.

I stopped briefly in front of the statue. I wasn't sure if I believed in a god or gods, but faith certainly felt nice. Comforting. It was weird, but the most important faith I thought I could have would be faith in myself. I was going to be myself for the rest of my life, after all. I was also willing to have faith in Angus. If anything would come of this date, I'd become his rock, his sword, his shield and his hearth.

With my mind shifting back to Angus, I resumed speeding up hill to the spot we agreed on. Which was going faster? My heart or my bike? I didn't know. I didn't care. Soon enough, I saw him, and that was all that mattered. He had been sitting down, his nose in a book, until he heard the sound of my engine. When he stood, he beamed at me and waved, his neutral expression transforming into a joyful grin.

I stopped right in front of him, unable to suppress my own glee, and raised my goggles from my eyes. Before I had time to think about it, I blurted out, "Hey howdy hey, Cap'n!"

With an amused chuckle, Angus echoed, "Cap'n?"

"W-well, uh…" I stammered. I just got here, and I was already flustered. "I guess I just figured why not. I mean, you're mellow, even tempered; those are qualities captains have, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so," he replied. He didn't seem to dislike it. "So, were you wondering at all why I called you out here so late?"

"Uhh…" I had thought about how much I liked the night, but I never really came up with any guesses as to why. Heat rose to my cheeks. This was only our first date! Did he really want to…?

"Stargazing!" he exclaimed giddily, pointing at the darkening sky.

Whoa. Wasn't expecting that. "Stargazing?"

"Yeah! I love astronomy and astrology. They really spark the imagination! Figures of legend in the night sky. It's like one big, cosmic mosaic. I thought you'd like it; you definitely seem the creative type," Angus explained, like a little kid explaining their favorite comic series to one of their friends.

"I'm certainly open to it," I replied with a shrug, grinning at him. He seemed happy and I wanted to try what he liked. Lore was pretty cool, so I'd probably come out of this learning some badass stories. I put the kickstand down on my bike and he and I moved a few feet away before laying down. Where the trees parted, the darkness was deep, but I could make out those dazzling points of light. I guess we were far enough away from the town for the lights to not matter. It wasn't like we had many lights in Possum Springs to begin with.

It was beautiful. The world was so steadily small. We were even smaller. The simplicity of it all made it even easier to appreciate. The air and drying grass below were both very cool, and Angus had a welcoming warmth about him. I scooted closer to him as we laid there, eyes on the sky.

"See how those stars kind of form a triangle?" he asked as he pointed out a trio of stars that formed an isosceles triangle.

"Yeah?" I replied, curiosity piqued.

"That's the constellation Tollmetron. Legend has it that it's a divine bell and its ringing will signal the end of days," Angus informed me.

"Whoa! That's like…it's the final alarm clock!" I exclaimed, the weight of the lore sinking in. "That's awesome!"

Angus stifled a laugh and told me, "I never thought I'd hear something like that! See? I knew you'd like this!"

"Yeah, but I could never enjoy this on my own. Being lonely is kind of boring, you know?" I asked, glancing at him. I got a glimpse past the lenses of his eyes and they gave me the response I needed and more. He knew what it was like to be alone and it hurt him. It hurt him too much for too long. His eyes looked somber and tired. I spoke up, "Hey…you're not alone anymore. Alright?" I slipped my paw into his. "I'm here, Cap'n."

"Th-thanks, Gregg," Angus responded, his voice shaking. He took a deep breath, and I was prepared to give him as long as he needed. After a moment that felt like forever, he pointed up at the sky again. "See those stars that look like they almost form a trapezoid?"

"Yeah? What about the almost-trapezoid?" I asked, hoping I could get his mind off of whatever pain he was feeling in the back of his mind.

"That's Mundy the World Fish, also known as Mundy the Whale. They called her the World Fish before they discovered that whales aren't actually fish," he explained.

"Whoa…! So it's like a god?" I asked. Big mistake.

"No god I'd worship," he replied, a chilling edge to his voice. "I'm actually comforted by the idea that there are no gods."

"Why?" I asked, almost on reflex.

"Because if there is a god, then he has a sick sense of humor!" he snapped. I saw my reflection in the lenses of his glasses, and beyond those lenses was the pain and ache on his very soul. A single tear escaped each of his eyes. "I'm sorry… I should go…" He slowly began to withdraw his paw, but I grabbed it with both of mine.

"No…You shouldn't, should you?" I asked him, my voice steeped in concern. His gaze, once holding pain and sorrow, now was a depiction of shock. "I've got you, Cap'n. It's okay. I'm right here."

With a sniffle, he replied, "Thanks, Bug."

"Bug?"

"Yeah, you know… like lovebug."

Now it was my turn to be amused. More than anything, it made me feel cute. It was a nice twist. Usually, people know me as the fun guy or the weird guy. Feeling emboldened, I asked, "So, if we're giving each other pet names already, does that mean there'll be a second date?"

"If you want," Angus replied. He pulled his paw away again, only to then wrap his arm around me. We beamed at each other. I'd never thought much about the future outside of some speculation and fun ideas here and there. It was only now that I had realized that I didn't even believe I had a future. The prospect of dating Angus long-term was starting to make me think otherwise. Even parking lot trash like me could have a future.

"I'd like that," I told him.

"Me, too," he responded. I snuggled closer to him. Luck was certainly a lady tonight. Angus and me, our stars were in perfect alignment. "You know, I may not believe in gods, but there are two things I do believe in."

"Oh?" I asked cautiously.

"Yeah. I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people who do," he explained, smiling contently. "You're definitely a person who cares. Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me for caring," I replied. "I think we've both had it rough, and everyone needs some tender love and care."

That was how it all started. Angus and I took our first steps forward together. We were different. We were outcasts. That didn't matter. We were together, which was more impactful to me than anything. Any obstacle we faced, we would face together.


End file.
